SIR ERIC GEDDES AS FIRST LORD

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3199, 25 September 1917, Page 8

SIR ERIC GEDDES AS FIRST LORD

NO INTERFERENCE WITH NAVAL STRATEGY. Sir Eric Gedes, M.P., Firet Lori of the Admiralty, in ''Bis initial speech aa the elected member for Cambridge Borough to his constituents said: "You have been told,", Sir Eric observed, "that I have been a railwayman, and that I was once a. porter. That is true, and I am very proud of it. (Cheers.) The railivaymeii of England Ii hold in. the highest regard, and that re-, gard has been intensified by what I have seen of their work in France. The railwaymen out there have given to the Army movement. The railways are now aheali of the guns everywhere, and tlio work of the railwaymen has saved thousands and thousands of lives at the sacrifice of many of their own. You may ask," he added, "how do I view the duties of First Lord of the Admiralty? The last thing I shall do is to interfere in naval strategy. (Loud cheers.). My time in France has taught mo that it is better to leave the tactics and strategy to the professional soldier and sailor. I intend to do 60; but I do not intend to sit down and eay there is nothing to do. It is my duity to know what the Sea Lords are proposing to do with the material and resources at their disposal, to form an independent opinion as to whether they haev enough or should have more, and in every possiblo way ae far as a civilian can do" to bolp them in their war worK.